Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The release of House on Haunted Hill in the first half of 1959 was followed later that same year by another William Castle classic, The Tingler, which also starred Vincent Price.

According to the movie's scientific premise, the tingler is a parasitic creature inhabiting the human spine.

Extreme fear makes the cute little critter grow into a powerful organism that can attack and kill the host.

Here comes the good part. The only way to destroy the tingler is with loud and continuous screaming. (I must have been playing hooky the day that was covered in health class.)

Print campaigns and theatrical trailers for The Tingler claimed that this latest Castle caper was filmed in Percepto.

The special effects challenged among us should not confuse this academy award winning technical achievement (a joy buzzer under a seat) with Emergo ...the groundbreaking cinematic technique introduced in House on Haunted Hill (a fake skeleton on a wire).

It's shocking but true! To add more tingle during the screening of The Tingler...

...Castle equipped several theater seats with large joy buzzers that were activated during a scene in which the tingler runs amok in a movie theater.

50 years of gimmicks...50 years of fun...thanks to innovative spook movie director William Castle!

HouseonHauntedHill...

...and on the same bill its blood curdling, side splitting terror twin...

The Tingler...

...and for half a century my favorite thriller...

VincentPrice...

They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

Have a Shady Halloween!

Now there are nine. There’ll be more...many more.They're coming for me now.....and then they'll come for you!

Hairy paws are comin' through the door.Gurl, you need to bust some movesIf you don't your life you'll loseAin't nothin' but a party, babyAin't nothin' but a hearse party!

Meet Watson Prichard...

a drunken sotwho rambleson and onabout severed headsand ghosts.

Is it demon rum doing the talking?Or would we be wise to take Prichard seriously?

Very seriously!

Frederick Loren: It's almost time to lock up the house and then your party will really begin.

I wonder how it will end...

Frederick Loren: Remember the fun we had when you poisoned me?Annabelle Loren: (laughs) “Something you ate,” the doctor said.Frederick Loren: Yes...arsenic on the rocks!

Frederick: Don't let the ghosts and the ghouls disturb you, darling. Annabelle: Darling, the only ghoul in the house is you!

Watson Pritchard: These (guns) are no good against the dead. Only the living.

Pritchard: Six hours…six of us. Time enough.

Pritchard: Rooms? Guns? I tell ya, it doesn’t make any difference. They aren’t through with us yet.

At last you've got it all...

everything I had...

even my life.

But you're not going to live to enjoy it!

Come with me, murderess...

Come with me!

A promotional genius, director William Castle turned his low budget B movies into box office hits by using a variety of gimmicks. The publicity package for House on Haunted Hill, for example, asserted that the picture was filmed using a technique called Emergo. To transform the movie into an interactive experience, Castle distributed a promotional kit to each theater screening the movie. The kit included an inflatable glow-in-the-dark skeleton.

During the movie's terrifying climax a skeleton emerges from an acid-filled wine vat to exact revenge on villainess Annabelle Loren. Simultaneously, the skeleton in the theater was rigged to spring from the stage and sail on a wire above the audience. As word spread about the movie's bare bones special effects, rambunctious teenagers couldn't resist the urge to pelt the poor skeleton with candy boxes, cups and anything else they could get their hands on. It was not the audience reaction Castle had anticipated; nevertheless, it was an encouraging sign that a good time was had by all.

Good night, doctor. Good night, Annabelle. The crime you two planned was indeed perfect; only the victim is alive and the murderers are not. It’s a pity you didn’t know when you started your game of murder…..that I was playing, too.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Let's continue now with more great songs that I remember being played and performed on The Lloyd Thaxton Show.

(December 1964 thru February 1965)

“The Name Game” – Shirley Ellis

Shirley Ellis, the focus of a blog article last December, recorded a string of hits in the novelty vein, just the type of fodder that wacky Lloyd Thaxton liked to use in his lip-syncs and comedy bits.

Here's Shirley's biggest hit, "The Name Game," a record that entered the chart two weeks before Christmas 1964, vaulted into the top 5, and remained popular most of the winter.

(January, February 1965)

“Paper Tiger" – Sue Thompson

Along with the Newbeats, its popular male trio, Nashville-based Hickory Records was also home to the successful female soloist Sue Thompson. Sue scored several hit singles on the label beginning in 1961.

Novelty ditties like "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)," "Norman," and "James (Hold the Ladder Steady)" were Sue Thompson's stock-in-trade and her best chart performers; but she didn't get me to sit up and take notice until I saw her on Thaxton in early 1965 performing "Paper Tiger."

"Paper Tiger" was sexier and more sophisticated than Sue Thompson's novelty numbers. A tongue-in-cheek girl power anthem, "Paper Tiger" was the type of material that sassy songstress Nancy Sinatra would take to the next level the following year.

With her little girl voice, big hair, and youthful looks, it's hard to believe that Sue Thompson was nearly 40 years of age when "Paper Tiger" was on the chart. According to Sue's bio, radio audiences and record buyers assumed that she was another teenage singing idol, and she wasn't about to burst their bubble.

"Paper Tiger" became the last significant hit of Sue Thompson's career, reaching #23 on Billboard. Sue is now 84 years of age! Yeeeeeow! We're all getting old!

(January thru March 1965)

“The Birds and the Bees” Jewel Akens

The Lloyd Thaxton Show helped sell a lot of popcorn, and “The Birds and the Bees” was a fine example. Featuring the sparkling production quality that I favor, “The Birds And The Bees,” a pop soul recording by Jewel Akens, soared up the chart at the beginning of 1965 and wound up at #3, no easy task with the Beatles and their wannabes as competition.

(February, March 1965)

“Yeh, Yeh” Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames

I became a fan of Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames by regularly watching Hullabaloo London. "The Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde" might have been Georgie's biggest money maker, but it was his lesser hit, "Yeh Yeh" that rocked my world in the early months of 1965.

March, April 1965

"Peaches 'N' Cream" - Ikettes

During the mid 60s, the Ikettes went from background vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue to recording stars in their own right. "Peaches 'N' Cream," a feel good teen pop/R&B dance tune, went top 40 nationwide and was pressed into service to boost the fun factor on Thaxton.

More great 60s songs coming up in Part 5 of my salute to Lloyd Thaxton. Stick around!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

We continue now with more of my favorite songs related to The Lloyd Thaxton Show!

(November, December 1964)

“Mountain of Love” – Johnny Rivers

I remember watching Johnny Rivers’ guest appearance on Thaxton in the autumn of 1964.

My first exposure to Johnny Rivers had come earlier at my cousin's house when he invited me to listen to three of Johnny's albums that were recorded live at the famed Whisky a-Go-Go on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.

I loved Johnny Rivers’ soulful voice and his energetic interpretations of blues and country standards. The albums featured a distinctive hook – a chorus of squealing go-go girls that sang along in the background and cheered at the end of each song. Nice touch! I enjoyed the three LPs so much that I soon bought my own copies.

I have never been a big fan of live albums. The producer in me usually prefers studio recordings because of the artistry involved in the mix down; yet, those Johnny Rivers albums won me over and to this day I never tire of hearing them.

When Johnny Rivers performed on Lloyd Thaxton, he lip-synced to his newly-released recording, “Mountain of Love,” an excellent cover of the Harold Dorman hit from four years earlier.

Harold Dorman's 1960 "Mountain of Love" single did well on the national chart, finishing at #21.

Johnny Rivers’ version of the song surpassed Dorman's achievement, breaking into the Billboard top 10 and halting at #9.

(November 1964 thru January 1965)

“Thou Shalt Not Steal” – Dick and DeeDee

My mom turned thumbs down on “Thou Shalt Not Steal,” asserting that it was wrong to quote the bible in a secular song. My mother’s protests did not prevent me from groovin' to the sound of Dick and DeeDee. "Thou Shalt Not Steal" began climbing the Billboard chart as I was turning 15. I found it to be one of the freshest, most exciting sounds to emerge domestically since the start of the British invasion.

Since I watched Lloyd Thaxton religiously (pun intended) I was especially thrilled when I tuned in one day to find the Los Angeles pair on the show lip-syncing to "Thou Shalt Not Steal," a rousing rendition of singer/songwriter John D. Loudermilk’s composition. "Thou Shalt Not Steal" was the most soulful recording Dick and DeeDee ever released, and became their second biggest hit, reaching #13 on the chart.

Dick and DeeDee also appeared in the pilot of Where The Action Is, the music television series created by Dick Clark.

Although they sang love duets, Dick and DeeDee were not a romantic couple, merely singing partners who had met in school. Dick St. John’s original name was Richard Gosting. During the act’s 60’s recording career, DeeDee was Mary Sperling. When Mary retired in the 1970s, Dick kept the act alive by touring with his wife Sandy who took over as DeeDee.

Dick died tragically in December 2003 after suffering head injuries in a fall from a ladder at his home near Los Angeles. Three of my other favorite recording artists died around that same time, all within the span of one year: Edwin “Agent OO-Soul” Starr (April 2003); Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers (November 2003); and Jan Berry of Jan & Dean (March 2004). If there’s a rock & roll heaven you know they’ve got a hell of a band!

The Newbeats also recorded a version of “Thou Shalt Not Steal” in 1964. The recording session actually predates by a few months the release of the Dick & Dee Dee hit version. Oddly enough, the Newbeats rendition was not released as a single until five years later during the summer of 1969. Perhaps the delayed release was intended to allow the song to blend in with the new Age of Aquarius, sunshine pop, and Jesus rock movements. A fine recording that sounds similar to Dick & DeeDee's, "Thou Shalt Not Steal" by the Newbeats was nevertheless somewhat of an anachronism on the late 60s record charts. The song bubbled under at #128 but failed to make the Hot 100.

The Rodentia Intelligentsia

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"You had to be there!"

“Words and photographs could never do those dancers justice because you had to be there - in a club with great music, like minded people and loads of atmosphere.” David Meikle of Glasgow, Scotland wrote those words in an article remembering the Twisted Wheel, the legendary northern soul club in Manchester, England. Yet, Mr. Meikle could just as easily have been describing the scene at my favorite "in" spot of the 1960s, the Shady Dell in York (Pennsylvania, not England).

THE SHADY DELL

YORK, PENNSYLVANIA

The Shady Dell: Part of York County's Colorful History

What began as a home based restaurant and bakery in 1945 evolved over the next two decades into the hottest teen nightspot in York county complete with indoor and outdoor dance floors. It went beyond that. Shady Dell owner John Ettline and his wife Helen put out the welcome mat offering hospitality, comfort, support, and encouragement to generations of young people. During its impressive 45-year life span the Dell became a home away from home for countless area youth from a variety of backgrounds.

At the height of its popularity in the early and mid 60s the Dell, located on the southern outskirts of the White Rose city, was as widely known as North York’s White Oak Park ("the Oaks"), Harrisburg's Raven club or any other youth-oriented venue in central Pennsylvania. The Dell attracted crowds from all over the region. It brought together under one roof kids from middle class families and kids from working class families - city kids, suburban kids, small town kids and farm kids.

The diverse cast of characters that constituted the Shady Dell family was a potentially volatile mix. Each of us had to find a way to fit in and get along (or risk being voted off the island). In the end, in spite of our differences, most of us learned to dance together without stepping on each other’s toes.

Shady Dell regulars were nicknamed Dell rats and we had at least two things in common: a love of the music that played on the Dell’s jukebox and a genuine respect for John and Helen Ettline who graciously made their home our home.

GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS

The Dell was a unique, magical coming of age experience - a proving ground - a secluded hideaway where adolescents could develop social skills, learn to handle responsibility and test the waters of adulthood free from the hassles of ubiquitous adult micromanagement.

SHOCKING TRUE CONFESSION: I WAS A TEENAGE DELL RAT! by Shady Del Knight

I became a Dell rat in 1965 at the age of fifteen. Disparaging rumors about the place had been circulating for years. If you were to believe the gossip the Dell was a snake pit where bad boys and bad girls went to do bad things. Some people, including my mother, referred to the Dell as a “den of iniquity.” Intrigued by the horror stories, I was determined to get there and see for myself what all the fuss was about.

In preparation for my grand entrance, I subjected myself to weeks of rigorous training at a Shady Dell boot camp of my own devise. I grew my hair longer and took up the smoking habit. I practiced in front of a mirror until I was convinced that my stance, walk, and dancing style were all cool.

To complete my extreme makeover, I went shopping for my 'uniform' which consisted of a tapered shirt from the Hub, slacks by H.I.S. and two wardrobe essentials: a pair of blue Jack Purcell sneakers and the all-important Baracuta jacket "Made in England." Wearing my 'Cuta' made me feel so terribly, terribly British, you know. Spot on for us bird watchin' blokes, right gov'na?

'JACKS'

AN ABSOLUTE MUST...FOR DANCIN' ON DELL DUST!

THE CLASSIC NATURAL COLOUR BARACUTA

STRICTLY CONTINENTAL, MATE!

Moment of Truth: Boy Meets Dell

Too young to drive, I made my first Dell visit happen by bumming a ride one night with my college-age cousin and two of his buddies. Clearly, none of the above was thrilled to be babysitting.

As we drove past York Hospital on South George and headed toward Violet Hill, what began as giddy anticipation was turning to apprehension. Fear of the unknown started creeping into my brain. What if the rumors turned out to be true? Would I soon be sharing a needle with a gang of rowdy bikers?

At Violet Hill, we made a dogleg turn to the right and began to climb the narrow, winding, bumpy Starcross Road. By this time my breathing had become labored and I felt queasy. It was as if, on a foolish dare, I had agreed to spend the night with Vincent Price in his House on Haunted Hill. Was it too late to leap from the car and bolt?

"I See the Lights... I See the Party Lights..."

We rounded a bend and I caught my first glimpse of her a short distance up the road. Perched on the hillside was a three-story brick house. Down to the left stood a barn. The festive glow of colored lights rose skyward from an area behind the house. As I would soon learn, the atmospheric illumination originated from strings of lanterns hanging above a patio rigged with remote speakers for outdoor dancing.

As we banked to make our final approach I detected the percussive beat of uptempo music emanating from the barn. We turned left into a gravel parking lot overflowing with vehicles. Here, in all of her rustic splendor, stood the infamous Shady Dell, my destination for the evening and my obsession for years to come!

I Found My Thrill on Violet Hill

My heart was thumping as we climbed the steps that led to the entrance and approached the admission booth. Following my cousin’s lead, I slid a quarter through the window and looked up to see a balding, bespectacled old man grinning back at me. Old? John Ettline would have been 59 at the time. I'm older than that now. Yikes!

“Good evening, gentlemen!” John delivered his cheerful salutation in a booming baritone. Immediately, my anxiety vanished. John’s warm welcome made me feel right at home. It made me feel like I belonged. I didn’t get it at the time but later came to realize that John’s presupposition that we were "gentlemen" was a clever and tactful way of admonishing us to behave accordingly.

Toto, I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

From the moment I entered the compound I was hooked. The Shady Dell was a private playground for teenagers - a candy land - a fun factory - a safe haven where kids could congregate and blow off steam without having to worry about parents and teachers giving them the evil eye. Instantly I became intoxicated - not by alcohol - but by a sense of total freedom. The place gave off a vibe that was completely new to me – an exhilarating blend of romance, adventure and danger!

Instead of placing a ton of restrictions on their young patrons, John and Helen granted them the independence they craved. The Ettlines were willing to take a step back and trust our judgment. It was okay for us to party as long as things didn’t get out of hand. Most of us eagerly embraced that arrangement. If and when we screwed up, the Ettlines gave us another chance. John and Helen cut you plenty of slack, but if you disrespected them or trashed their establishment both were capable of unleashing a fiery temper.

Of Rats and Men

Contrary to popular belief, the Dell did not harbor gangs of juvenile delinquents eager to conceal their wicked deeds from law enforcement. Sorry, Mom - there weren’t any guns, switchblades or brass knuckles - no gangs, career criminals or prostitutes - just a bunch of ordinary teenagers who loved to meet, mix and mingle, dance and have fun.

Fights were few and far between. There was tacit agreement that it was our duty to preserve and protect the unique setting that the Ettlines had created for us. It required us to police ourselves to prevent incidents that would generate negative publicity or hassles with the law. Scuffles were settled quickly, often through John’s bold intervention. The first lesson a guy learned at the Dell was as follows. Don’t let the gray hair fool you. Nobody messes with John. He’s the boss!

A Special Welcome to All Incoming Freshmen!

I was punched in the face three times during my first year of matriculation on the campus of the Shady Dell School of Hard Knocks. Apparently a few of the guys were determined to teach me a lesson. Yet, getting socked in the kisser did not dampen my enthusiasm or scare me away from the place. In fact they had the opposite effect. They whet my appetite for more! As a Dell newbie desperate to break free of mom’s apron strings and earn respect and acceptance, I wasn’t about to let a bloody nose deter me. For the first time in my life I felt like a man instead of a boy and I loved it. Like Secret Agent Man I was living a life of danger. I was addicted to the rush!

Determined to create an image that would allow me to blend in, appeal to the ladies and avoid becoming a frequent target of the tribe's dominant males, I did a lot of posing, posturing and pretending. I decided that it would be advantageous for me to look tough even though I wasn't. Whenever I strolled into the dance hall, I made sure that my hair was messed up, my shirt tail was hanging out, a lit cigarette was dangling from my lips and my game face was on.

One afternoon before anybody else arrived, my best friend and I rolled around on the dance floor of the barn so that we could properly break-in our new Baracuta jackets by getting them coated with Dell dust. This drove my mother crazy. She kept asking me how I got my jacket so badly soiled. She was even more perplexed when I forbade her to get it cleaned. How could I explain to her that I didn’t want to risk weakening my status with the other guys by wearing a clean jacket?

In my mom’s day the ideal guy wore a white sport coat and a pink carnation. His hair was neatly cropped, oiled down and slicked back off his forehead. That look would have spelled social suicide at the Dell in the mid 60s. My goal was to look like I had just been in a fight at reform school, and if I got my uniform dirty or bloodied in combat, it was a GOOD thing.

Helen & John Ettline

Shady Dell Owners

Helen and John: Not Your Typical Mom and Pop

Even by mid 60s standards, John Ettline seemed part of a vanishing breed of men. John never called me by my first name. He always chose to address me as “Mr. Knight." John maintained that friendly formality through all the years I knew him. I’m very glad he did. John always made me feel important when he added the title “Mr.” to my name. Making insecure teenagers feel good about themselves was John’s greatest gift. He always treated young people with dignity and respect and that made them want to return it.

Along with his outstanding people skills, John possessed a photographic memory. He could always match a face with a name. He seemed to know a lot about anything or anybody that you happened to be discussing. John Ettline had a million stories to tell - all of them interesting.

Although old enough to be our grandparents, there was no generation gap between the Ettlines and their teenage guests. They seemed to remember better than other grown-ups what it was like to be young. John and Helen stayed in touch and in tune with the youth culture. Never was that more in evidence than one day at the York Fair in September, 1968. I was sitting in the grandstand awaiting the start of the James Brown concert. I turned around to search the crowd for familiar faces and there, a few rows behind me, sat Helen and John. In a year when racial tension was running high in York and elsewhere, it was remarkable to see a white couple in their 60s at a James Brown concert, chanting along with the rest of us, “Say It Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud!”

John and Helen were cool. Young people felt at ease talking with them. Unlike many adults, John and Helen listened to us. They cared without preaching or judging. The Ettlines treated their teen visitors like extended family. They believed in the potential of every young person, including troubled youth from broken homes. They spoke to us about the value of an education and honest hard work. They sponsored athletic programs and honored America’s armed forces. They shaped young lives by instilling a sense of pride and self esteem. John and Helen went out of their way to make all of their kids feel like somebody - even those whose families were telling them they were nobody.

The Dell Jukebox: ALL KILLER AND NO FILLER!

Upon arriving on the Dell scene I soon realized that the jukebox in the dance hall was loaded with the greatest, most danceable records to be found anywhere. There were quite a few songs that I had never heard before and would never hear anywhere else. The music mix that played nightly at the Dell was consistently better than what I was hearing on the radio. In the mid 60s the Dell's musical menu was an exciting blend of Motown, Chi-town, New York and Philly soul, Memphis, southern R&B, blue-eyed soul, Brit beat, sunshine pop, garage, psych and folk-rock plus a few do-wop favorites held over from the 50s.

Shady Dell regulars, the gang I now refer to as the Rodentia Intelligentsia, prided themselves on having radar for cool. Year in and year out they discovered and popularized songs that radio stations across the country overlooked. Records that lingered near the bottom of the national chart often became cherished classics at the Dell. Forgotten flips were elevated to mega-hit status by Dell rats unfettered by the limitations of radio play lists.

Certain songs resonated with the Dell crowd to such an extent that they stayed on the jukebox for years. The best example of this phenomenon is the record ranked #1 on my survey of the 200 Greatest Hits Of The Shady Dell. It remained one of the most popular jukebox selections a dozen years after its initial release in the 50s. That very special song, the greatest and longest lasting Shady Dell hit of all time, was "Close Your Eyes" by the Five Keys.

THE FIVE KEYS

"Close Your Eyes" Ranked #1

Del-Chords & Magnificent Men

Another mighty evergreen at the Shady Dell was "Everybody’s Gotta Lose Someday," an intense, power-packed r&b/soul ballad by the Del-Chords, a racially mixed group from York. Released in 1964, the record was still being played heavily two years later, jamming the floor with slow dancers several times a night. Dave Bupp and Buddy King, lead vocalists from the Del-Chords, eventually merged with band members of Harrisburg’s Endells to form a blue-eyed soul group called the Magnificent Men. The “Mag Men,” as we called them, were white guys who had a passion for black music and the vocal talent and musicianship to authentically perform it. Their inspiring ballad "Peace of Mind" was the first in an impressive string of Dell hits for our hometown heroes.

Magnificent Men

HEAVY HITTERS AT THE DELL!

The Emperors of Harrisburg

Records by the Emperors, another home-grown act, were also enormously popular with Dell dancers. A black group from the state capital, the Emperors were exponents of the “Harrisburg sound,” a blend of r&b, soul, garage and Latin influences. "Karate," the Emperors’ best known recording, was the first of eight raw, funky, organ-driven numbers to achieve hit status at the Dell in 1966 and 1967.

THE EMPERORS

DELL ROYALTY - THEY RULED!

End of an Era

Once addicted to the Dell, I pretty much lived there until the fall of 1967 when I left York to attend an institution of higher learning. Over the next four years I visited my Dell family whenever possible during holidays, spring breaks, and summer vacations. My stint as a Dell rat officially ended in 1971 when I found a job in another city and moved away from York for good.

My final visit to the Dell came in March of 1984 when my career took me out of state. My last piece of business before leaving was to drop in at the Dell and say a final goodbye. I entered the house to find John sitting on a stool at the lunch counter reading the newspaper. “Well, hello stranger!” John bellowed, rising to his feet and extending his hand. “Long time no see, Mr. Knight!" After shaking hands with John and exchanging a few pleasantries, I inquired about Helen. I was stunned to learn that she had passed away a few weeks earlier. I never got the news! John and I stood alone in Helen’s snack bar, reminiscing about the good old days and lamenting how much things had changed since the Dell’s golden era.

After a brief chat with John I excused myself and walked down the sidewalk to check out the barn. The old dance hall was dimly lit and nearly vacant. The only customers were two boys with shoulder length hair standing by the jukebox with a couple of girls. No music was playing. The place was dead or, more accurately, in the final lonely stages of life. If it had been twenty years earlier, the joint would have been jumpin’. The four young people eyed me suspiciously. Is this guy a narc? I put myself in their combat boots and realized that the sight of a stranger in his mid thirties was probably making this new generation of Dell rats uncomfortable. I promptly exited the barn and returned to the house to bid farewell to John.

That night marked the last time I ever saw John or entered the Shady Dell. I made one final pilgrimage in 1988 when I returned to Pennsylvania to visit my parents. I drove up to the Dell one afternoon with every intention of going inside. I’m sure I would have encountered a smiling John Ettline and that he would have immediately remembered my name. Yet, I never got out of the car. I chose not to enter because I didn’t want to further contaminate my memories by seeing how much older John looked and how much more dilapidated the Dell had become. All I could do was sit there in the parking lot gazing at the barn, the house, the bench and the steps to the admission booth where the whole journey started. My mind flooded with a thousand memories of the people, the place, and the time of my life.

John Ettline closed the Dell in the fall of 1991. He died at the beginning of 1993. John’s family auctioned off the restaurant equipment, signage and other Dell paraphernalia in the spring of that year.

(Mike Argento's 1993 article in the York Daily Record was used as a reference source for portions of this cover story.)

Thank You, Thisisme!

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THANK YOU, THISISME!

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Thank you, LyDe (The Lyrical Designer)

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Spread the word...

THE RAT PACK IS BACK!

A-ha! I knew it! There's fine print!

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